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Editorial: 'Liquid ecstasy' law just a step toward stopping rape

The war on drugs has a new enemy - date rape.

Drugs like heroin, cocaine and marijuana have a new neighbor in the federal government's list of most dangerous substances.

GHB, casually referred to as "liquid ecstasy" or the "date rape drug," is close to joining the category of Schedule One drugs - substances that are most dangerous and have no medical use.

The legislation, which was approved by U.S. Congress Monday and will likely be signed by President Clinton, would make the production, possession or spread of GHB punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

It also gives the Drug Enforcement Administration the right to federally prosecute crimes involving the drug.

This is certainly a bold and important move in coming down hard on date rape, as the drug is common on college campuses and often linked to acquaintance rape in which a victim would unknowingly consume the "party drug." The drug is particularly dangerous because it easily causes overdoses - 5,700 thus far, according to the DEA.

While the legislation has potential to open college students' eyes to the dangers of the drug, the battle against marijuana seems to be an indicator that federal drug laws can only do so much. Tougher DEA regulations can only stop drug use so much, and the war on rape is still left largely unarmed.

In the past 10 years, GHB has been adopted by fast party culture - a pill-popping atmosphere. It is used not only to aid rape, but as a recreational drug.

The drug is easier to make than rohypnol is to buy. It is colorless, odorless and effective in tiny doses.

Most disturbing from the sexual assault victim's perspective is the fact that GHB leaves the system within 24 hours. When the morning after a wild party brings a horrifying revelation, the only hard evidence of date rape is soon flushed out of the invaded body.

Hopefully, tougher drug laws will reduce the casual perception of liquid ecstasy.

Hopefully, the spread of the drug will be limited and thus reduce the frequency of date rape.

But even in the unlikely event that GHB is eliminated from college campuses, the targeted crime will perpetuate.

In August, the University of Arizona Police Department had recorded only one case of sexual assault for the 1999 calendar year. UA's rape crisis center, Oasis, listed 60 reports in only six months of that year.

As many as 60 cases of rape or sexual assault were unpunished and unpublicized.

While some unreported incidents could have involved drugs, a large majority likely resulted from alcohol use and a sick human being.

GHB is, without a doubt, going to the right place as a Schedule One drug, moreso than some of its companion substances.

But the only way we can make real progress in stopping party or acquaintance rapists and the irreparable damage they do is to end the stigma associated with being sexually assaulted.

If people continue to look away and not report rape, all the drug laws in the world won't help this weekend's victims.